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KANSAS CITY, KS – JUNE 26: Aubrey Bledsoe #1 of the Washington Spirit kicks the ball during a game between Washington Spirit and Kansas City at Legends Field on June 26, 2021 in Kansas City, Kansas.
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Luke Bennett
WashingtonSpirit.com
Leesburg, VA. (09/26/2021) – The Washington Spirit face Kansas City NWSL on Sunday, September 26 at 5:00 p.m. ET at Segra Field. The match will be broadcast on Paramount+ for fans in the United States and on Twitch for international viewers.
The Opposition
The last month and a half for Kansas City NWSL has been by all accounts the strongest in the franchise’s short history. All of its wins this season took place in the month of August and, most recently, KC is coming off a 0-0 draw with the third-place North Carolina Courage. That said, Kansas City has only garnered two wins this season and is in tenth place in the NWSL standings with 11 points through 18 games.
Sunday’s match will be the first match for KC NWSL in three weeks. On the road this season, Kansas City is winless, losing seven of those 10 matches.
During the international break KC NWSL had five players — Adrianna Franch, Rachel Corsie, Jéssica Silva, Mariana Larroquette, and Chloe Logarzo – representing five different countries on international duty. Franch appeared in one match for the USWNT during the most recent pair of games vs. Paraguay.
Something to look for in the KC NWSL team is its fragility on both sides of the pitch. This season, Kansas City has only scored nine goals – an average of half a goal per game – and has allowed 28 goals by opponents – an average of over one and a half goals per game. The Spirit must look to exploit any chances given to them.
KC NWSL attacker Kristen Hamilton is among the players to watch out for. She leads the team in goals, shots on goal, and total shots.
The Spirit
The Washington Spirit come into Sunday’s match having not played in four weeks. The Spirit’s most recent match was a 0-0 draw with the North Carolina Courage at Audi Field on August 29. Sunday’s match will also be the Spirit’s final game at Segra Field this regular season. The last match played at Segra Field was a 1-0 loss to the Portland Thorns. While the Spirit have not had great success at Segra Field so far this season, the team will look to go out on a high note.
The Spirit remain in a playoff contention spot at sixth in the NWSL table, thanks to some favorable results across the board in the past few weeks. With a 6-7-5 record, the Spirit own the tiebreaker over the Houston Dash with 23 points.
In its previous matchup against KC NWSL, the Spirit won, 2-1, in a come-from-behind victory. Goals came from Spirit attacker Ashley Sanchez and Trinity Rodman, who’s extra time goal assisted by Tori Huster lifted the Spirit over KC NWSL. Aubrey Bledsoe played excellently after allowing a 3’ goal from current-North Carolina Courage attacker, Amy Rodriguez.
After a short stint in international competition, Spirit players Julia Roddar, Karina Rodriguez, Kelley O’Hara, Emily Sonnett, and Andi Sullivan – who scored her first international goal for the USWNT – will be available for action. With time off and renewed focus, the Spirit look poised to pick up a much-needed three points at Segra Field against one of the league’s least successful teams.
